Tribes: Ascend was originally being developed for Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC, however this is no longer the case.

Hi-Rez Studio has announced that it no longer has any plans to bring the game to consoles. This is due to the team moving down the free-to-play route. The PC currently offers the best platform for this model, with Microsoft standing firm on not allowing the business model on the Xbox 360, and Sony only supporting it for its own titles. Unless either of the companies change its minds, don’t expect to see Tribes on consoles.

“We do not have any plans for Tribes on console at this time,” said COO Todd Harris. ”The way it went is that we wanted to do the free-to-play model, and there wasn’t a clear path to that on consoles early on. Based on that, we optimized the game around the strengths of the PC, and specifically a keyboard and mouse control.”

“Once we decided it’d only be on the PC, we optimized [gameplay] around speed, a quick turn radius, and things that are optimized for PC game controls,” he added. ”We’re still interested in free-to-play on consoles, but at this point, we have nothing specific to Tribes on console. I do expect the consoles will see more and more free-to-play, certainly the new generation, and possibly the existing generation as well.”

The game has been hailed by critics as one of the best free-to-play games around. Free-to-play is growing daily, and it will soon be impossible for the likes of Sony and Microsoft to ignore the wider market. We feel it’s only a matter of time before free-to-play games come to consoles. If you have the time then why not download the game and give it a try, you certainly won’t regret it.

Do free-to-play games have a place on consoles? Share your thoughts below.

Matthew Bennett finally got his big break with EGM three years ago, following years of volunteer work for various sites. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream. Follow him on Twitter @mattyjb89. Meet the rest of the crew.